India and US Partner to Develop India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor – wna24

US President Donald Trump on Friday announced that India and the US have agreed to collaborate on the construction of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). Trump praised this project as a significant trade route, highlighting its path from Israel through Italy and continuing to the US. 

At the joint news conference with PM Modi, speaking about IMEC, Trump said, “We agreed to work together to help build one of the greatest trade routes in all of history. It will run from India to Israel to Italy and onward to the US, connecting our partners, roads, railways and undersea cables, many many undersea cables. It is a big development. “ 

” It is a lot of money going to be spent and we have already spent some but we are going to be spending a lot more in order to stay advanced and stay the leader. I am pleased to report that with today’s announcements, the friendship between the US and India is the strongest, I believe it has ever been. I think our relationship is the best it’s ever been between two leaders of two countries.” Trump said.  

What is India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC)? 

Launched on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Delhi in September 2023, the IMEEC is a significant project that includes a route passing through Marseille in the Mediterranean Sea. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on 9th September 2023 during the G20 New Delhi summit by the governments of India, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, Italy, and the European Union. 

IMEEC aims to connect India, Europe, and the Middle East through the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, and the European Union. This route, currently used to circumvent the Houthi blockade, is widely regarded as a means to future-proof the India-Europe-US supply chain by avoiding the Suez Canal.